The Loch

The cold night air filled my lungs deeply. The scent of smoke wafted from my hair into the trees. I settle my eyes on the beautiful cliffside in front of me.

"It's gorgeous," I say aloud. There's no one here, behind me is miles of forest, and my little farm nestled into the clearing.

The water laps against the jarred rocks, creating watery artwork on it's side.

My bare feet run over the dry, cracked soil. I smile to myself and thank my heart for leading me here.

Days pass like a blur, every day spent staring at the sun as it sets over the horizon of dark teal water.

This night however was strange.

As I got up from the cliff edge to venture back down the small trail I'd made back to the barn, I heard something.

My eyes scan the vast loch and wonder idly if there's something there. But of course not. How could there be?

I turn and shake my head.

"La," calls the wind. I turn sharply on my heel, almost losing balance over the thin ledge. I look down into the water.

"Whose there?" I call. But no one answers.

Suddenly it calls again, "La," dragging out its note over a tantalizing breath of air. But there is no one. I keep looking and looking knowing I've gone mad from the lack of social interaction.

Finally, I give up, there can't be anything there I am thousands of miles deep in the middle of a plot of Scottish land that hasn't been touched by anyone since I brought it.

Shaking my head, I chuckle. I need some sleep. This cannot be life.

I make my way down the cliffside and at the end, I can visibly see the bottom of the cliff where all the rocks are, and the fact no one is there.

A little jarred I make my way to the treeline.

"Oh, how unfortunate."

I whip around to spot a woman perched on top of a large, boulder-like rock.

"Going so soon?" She asks.

It's too dark to see much but she's obviously out of her mind.

"What are you doing over there it's dangerous!" I say and step forward.

Her body is facing the water but she's turned to look over her shoulder at me. Her long brown-red hair is soaked and she isn't wearing a swimsuit from what I can tell.

"Listen, I don't know who you are, but it's very dangerous for you to be over there. That isn't the kind of place a kid should be playing."

She laughs loudly, a melodic tune that makes my ears warm. I step forward unconsciously.

"I'm in danger? Of what? Falling into the water?" she deadpans. A smirk is ever present on her wide, bow-shaped lips.

Every time she speaks I feel myself inching closer as if I'm enchanted.

She winks at me and says, "Then catch me," effortlessly slipping off the giant rock and hurtling towards the seabed.

"No," I shout running towards the water.

It's ice cold and meets my bare feet with tiny sharp roots that stick in. I move hurriedly, throwing my arms to dive into the water.

It takes no time to reach the rock. I look around for her, worried she was snatched by the current.

"You're fast."

I spot her lazing with her back against a rock body swaying gently with the current.

Her skin is fair, flushed pink where the water touches.

"A-are you okay?" I ask giving her a once-over.

I was right to assume she didn't have a bathing suit.

I look back at the previous rock she was sitting on, under it are two more rocks. It would have been easy for her to climb up and down there.

I sigh in relief.

"Listen, you shouldn't hang around in water this deep, or cold at night. You'll get sick, and even if you don't, you might get hurt."

I know I don't know her, however, I can't let someone just waste away like that when I can at least say something.

She laughs again, a bell sound, high pitched and full of youth. It makes an unconscious smile form on my lips.

"Will you protect me? Hmm? Protect me from the big, bad sea."

I open my mouth, floundering unable to iterate how her teasing makes me feel.

"Just...at least swim in a swimsuit," I say before turning away and trying to quickly get out of the water.

Her hand snatches mine and pulls me back.

"Wait!" she says quickly her eyes wide looking out towards the distance.

I follow her gaze to see a strange movement under the water. It's big, like a shark, and creates a murky shadow under the water.

I shake her off and grab her hand. "Let's go," I say.

She follows after me, albeit slowly as if she's too small to move any faster.

I chance looking behind me only to see she isn't following just standing being pulled, watching that murky figure in a trance.

"Snap out of it!" I shout waving a hand in front of her. But she doesn't move. "Come on, what are you doing?"

She steps forward, deeper into the water.

I try pulling her back but she's surprisingly strong for a small woman.

I sigh and release my hand from hers, but she doesn't release mine.

"Hey. Hey!" I pull back but her instance moves me instead, she drags us further and further but I can't seem to free myself and no amount of yelling is breaking her trance.

"La"

I turn to face the water. It's that noise again. I thought it was this woman but it wasn't.

"La," I look harder towards the murky darkness as it shifts, breaking the water's surface. Another woman emerges, she has such long bangs that cup her chin, that I can't see the features of her face.

Her mouth is ajar as she calls again, "La, la, la." each word is ethereal, coated with soft breaths, and dragged over the air into my mind.

I feel restless being pulled further into the water. Pass the rocks where it is too deep to walk and I have to flail to keep above water with one of my hands being pulled.

The woman in front of me kicks her feet propelling us forward. I hold my breath as my head goes under. In the strong current, I am able to set myself free and push her off of me.

When I come back up, I gasp. It's too cold, and my body is starting to get a little numb. My hand aches from where she held it.

I look around to see how far we've traveled. The current is no joke, I can barely see the rocks from here. Thankfully the cliff is in sight despite the darkness. I start swimming towards it.

"Ah!" I yelp as my leg is yanked. The force pulls me under and I inhale seawater. It burns on the way down. I thrash and thrash to get out of its grip.

When I come back up tears are streaking down my face as I hack the water out of my lungs.

I've traveled much further than before. The cliffside is starting to look like a hill from this distance.

Dread fills my limbs with lead. It becomes even harder to swim toward the shoreline though the current pushes that way.

I freeze when I see the mass of people emerge from the water around me. They form a shifting circle holding me in place.

"Please, just let me leave. I'll never come into the water again." I beg.

They aren't human. Can't be, to be able to withstand the current, sitting still in place as if they've anchored themselves.

"Please," I say again.

The singing woman from before swam into the circle. Her arms don't move her though she treads as if she's walking. In her arms is the woman from earlier, white as paper and unmoving in her arms.

I let out a whimper. I don't want to be here. I don't want to die.

All at once their mouths open, and loud screaches fill my mind. I hold my head shaking from the pain until I can't hold my consciousness anymore.

Darkness surrounds me when my eyes open. It's cold and damp, and pitch-black but I'm not dead, and I'm not drowning.

I sit up to see not too far away is some light. Surging waves make gurgling water slosh against the ground in the cave.

I look around to see that woman lying next to me.

I don't dare touch her, wake her, or leave any sort of idea I was here. I get up and feel the sense of blood rushing through my body.

Rapidly, I fall to my knees and cradle the explosive migraine in my head.

"Fuck," I mumble and reach for my throat. My voice sounds funny like I haven't talked in a long time.

I sigh.

Shifting grabs my attention. At first, I look to my side, but again she isn't moving.

Then I look at the water. Out emerges a man, I stumble back startled by his appearance.

His eyes are bright in the darkness of the cave, gold even.

He snarls at me glancing between me and the woman.

I face him and stand in front of her. I'm not sure if she's dead but I sure as hell won't let him get to her while she can't protect herself.

The man folds muscled arms over a broad chest.

"Human"

I hear his voice though his mouth doesn't move. I stare as hard as I can at his lips to see any indication that he is talking and that I'm not hallucinating from passing out.

"Why do you protect the woman?" he asks. Again his mouth unmoving.

I watch in horror as he moves forward again exposing just the top of his lower torso, embedded into his Mediterranean skin are iridescent scales.

"W-what are you?" I ask him.

He shakes his head, then clucks his teeth.

"She's the one that got you into this, yet you protect her despite not knowing what you are up against." he points towards the water. "Come find out what I am."

I shake my head feverishly. "No thank you."

He scoffs and edges closer, but he doesn't leave the water. I get another good eye full of his scales the closer he moves, the shiny things sparkle so much, I can almost see my reflection in them.

"Are you...like a sea god?" I ask him.

"Hand her over, or lose your life," he says once again avoiding the question.

I look back at the woman again. She hasn't moved at all regardless of us talking, the sound of the water, or even the mere fact of at least showing signs of life. Even her chest wasn't moving up and down with rhythmic breath.

"What will you do to her?"

The man sighs running a hand through his hair.

He moves further up to the edge of the water. I can't see much behind him but his legs or whatever that was, were covered in moss, vines, and scales like a fish.

I swallow dryly and look at her. Kicking her legs lightly I wait to see if she'll move.

He sighs again. "Fine, then let her rot next to you," he says.

"W-wait!" I call looking between the two of them. "Is she dead?"

A sinister grin chills me to the bone.

"You hadn't realized? She's been dead for a long time."

I bend down and press my fingers to her neck, I don't wait for a pulse before drawing my hand back. She's as cold as the sea, and unmoving still.

I gently lift her in my arms.

"We should report this," I say.

I realize how stupid I sound when he snarkily laughs.

"You'll be the only one in trouble."

"I'm sure they'll find your DNA two," I mention.

He shrugs. "It won't match anything in their database. I'm not like you."

I ponder only for a moment what that might mean. The freezing woman in my arms wouldn't have wanted me to hand her over to this stranger. Even if she was dead. "Bring me a shovel, I'll bury her."

He shakes his head no. "Can't go on land, I don't have a shovel for you."

I frown. "What were you going to do? What do you want? What kind of man can't go on land?"

He smiles wickedly and backs away from the edge of the water, seconds later a large wide tail whips into the air and splashes the water's surface.

I cringe away still getting drenched. gently, I place the woman down glaring at the creature in front of me.

"Was that necessary, couldn't you just use words?"

He shrugs.

"So you're like a fish man or something? A...merman or what gives?"

"It's like that. I wouldn't say merman but close enough. Now hand her over."

"I'm going home," I say abruptly. "Haven't feed the horses, or let the cows out. Not to mention the chickens have probably flown the coupe already." I shake my head. Haven't hosed down the truck either that thing looks awful.

He snorts moving out of the way so I can see the entrance. His large, slender, hand waves at the opening. "Be my guest."

I get a chill that runs over my spine. Something about his amused look tells me he isn't the only one in the water.

Still, I step in, so glad to not be wearing shoes. My sweats begin to cling to me and my shirt becomes heavy once I have routed myself in the water I look at him.

He's three times my size and wearing the shittest grin.

"You're a lot smaller than I thought," he moves closer. The water around him is warm.

"Mind your business and leave me alone."

He leans passed me pressing me against the dirt, snatches the woman's ankles, and throws her over his shoulder.

Then he looks down at me, his eyes are amber with flecks of gold, bright and boring into my soul. And he winks.

"You're kind of handsome two." He says.

In a split second, he's submerged under the water and the last I see of him is a flick of his tail as he exits the cave.